Floor display stand



Feb. 27, 1934. D c c L 1,948,902

FLOOR DISPLAY STAND Filed April 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR DAV!D M. CARMlCHA E L BY maamfimmk rmo ATTORN EYS Feb. 27, 1934. D. M.CARMICHAEL FLOOR DISPLAY STAND Filed April 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FEB- I INVENTOR DAVID NLCARM IYCHAE L BY WZa smfimmlrmma A'ITORN EYSPatented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR DISPLAY STANDYork Application April 26, 1932. Serial No. 607,626

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in display stands and has moreparticular relation to improvements in so-called knock down" floordisplay stands.

One of the severalobjects of the invention is to provide a floor displaystand made up of inseparable parts which by instant and unskilledadjustment may be knocked down or flattened out for mailing or asquickly set up in position as a display stand after having been so"knocked down.

A further object of the invention is to provide a "knock down typedisplay stand in the form of an ornamental pedestal having an uppershelf or top for displaying articles which top when held extended by theweight of the article thereon holds the side panels in their assembledpositions so that the displayed article must be removed before thedevice can be collapsed.

The invention also has other objects, all of which will be hereinaftermore particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification,

Figure 1 represents a, perspective view of the devices embodying myinvention set up and ready for use.

Figure 2 represents a front elevation of said devices in the knock downcondition.

Figure 3 represents a detail vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure1.

Figure 4 represents a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 represents a detail vertical section on the line 55 of Figure2.

Figure 6 represents a top plan view of the diecut blank for thereinforced shelf or top of the display stand.

Figure 7 represents the die-cut blank for the back of the display, and

Figure 8 represents the die-cut blank for the front.

Described in general terms, the invention comprises a number of panelsflexibly connected together to form a hexagon standard or pillar havingan angularly collapsible top portion or shelf so formed as to hold theseveral panels in their proper adjusted positions as long as the shelfoccupies a horizontal position in which it is held by the weight of thearticle displayed on the shelf.

The weight of this article naturally forces the center of the shelfdownward and this forcing action causes the flexibly connected sectionsof the shelf to spread laterally and thus force all of the panelsforming the hexagon into their proper positions.

Suitable side extending handles or hooks are provided for starting theupward collapsing movement of the shelf when desired. Such hooks also byengaging the walls of slots in the side panels assist in limiting thedownward movement of the shelf. A T-beam structure for bracing the middle of the shelf against excessive weight is also a part of thecollapsible structure.

Referring to Figure 6, the top or shelf 1 is formed with two sections 2and 3 with two intermediate narrow sections at 4 and 5. In order thatthese narrow folds may readily flex or assume the positions shown inFigure 3, they are scored laterally as at 6, '7 and 8, the scored part 7being down and the scored parts 6 and 8 being up, making a V-formationor truss as shown in the aforesaid Figure 3.

Each of the sections 2 and 3 is provided with a gluing tab 9 and each ofthe sections 4 and 5 is extended at each end and has slots 10 formedtherein near said ends, these slots when the strips 4 and 5 are doubledside by side forming downwardly facing slots. When the strips 4-5 arelying side by side in vertical positions, they form a vertical V-trussfor preventing any sagging of the top under excessive weight. Thesestrips are partly supported by the hooks 11 passing through slots 12formed between the front and back sections of panels to assist inholding the back and front panels in position from lateral spreading asshown in Figure 1.

These front and back sections, however, are primarily held fromspreading and the shelf held from sagging by the hooks 27 formed on theshelf sections 2 and 3. These hooks 27, of course, assume an angularposition when the parts 2 and 3 assume such positions upon beingcollapsed and when these shelf sections are forced down into horizontalpositions, the hooks 27 which have previously been inserted in thevertical slots 10 changed from vertical to horizontal positions so thatthe hooks extend back of the panel sections. Slots 28 formed by thehooks 27 receive the respective vertical panels of the front and backsections during this operation. Solid sections 29 which connect theshelf sections 2 and 3 with the hooks 27, rest firmly upon shoulders 30and 31 formed respectively on the front and back sections and thussupport the middle of the shelf without throwing undue strain on theflexible connection at the scoring between the front and back sect-ions.If the sections 4 and 5 resting in the bottoms of the slots 10 were thesole support for the middle of the shelf, the excessive weight of thearticles on the shelf would causethe edges of the sections 4 and 5v tocut down upon the weakened flexing line between the front and backsections of the display.

The effect of the above construction is such that when the strips 4 and5 are doubled together, the top or shelf has approximately a -horizontalhexagonal shape, this also being the cross sectional shape of thecompleted stand when it is set up for use. The back blank shown inFigure '7 is provided with an advertising display card 13 and with 3panels 14, 15 and 16 and gluing strips 17 and 18; scored lines 19 beingformed between the panels and between the panels and strips so that theparts may. flex easily at these points. The bottom of this back panel isformed with a recess 20 at the lower end of each panel; these recessesforming ornamental legs 21 which contact with the floor to support thestand, the whole structure being from 3 to 4 feet high. The front blankshown in Figure 8 is also formed into three panel sections 22, 23 and 24separated by score lines 25 and 26 so that they may be easily flexed.These latter panels are formed at their lower ends with legs 21 similarto the back section. The back section is glued to the front section bythe glue strips 17 and 18 and when the gluing strips 9 of the shelf aresimilarly glued to the back and the front, the whole forms a completelyassembled inseparable structure.

When the hooks 11 are raised and the continuity of the shelf broken andthe front section forced towards the back section, all of the respectivevertical panels straighten out against each other, the shelf sectionsforming an up and down extending inverted V and the entire structurelying perfectly flat for wrapping to be mailed or shipped. When thedevice is to be set up, the front set of panels is pulled forward andthe hooks 11 forced down in the slots 12 until the parts 29 of the shelfsections come to rest upon the shoulders or supports 30 and 31. Theweight of the article resting upon the shelf holds the shelf perfectlyflat and prevents its bowing upward accidentally. At the same time thehooks 11 and the hooks 27 prevent the side walls from spreading as longas they are hooked over these side walls, but just as soon as they areraised slightly and pressure exerted upon the front section, the sidewalls will move laterally and allow the whole'display to be collapsed asabove described and as shown in Figure 2.

When the display is set up, it forms a perfect hexagon shape column witha sturdy, braced and trussed shelf at the top upon which very heavyarticles may be set for display, the weight of the article tending tofirmly hold the display in its set up position against any accidentaldisplacement.

One of the several features of advantage in the present invention is thefact that just as soon as the weight is removed from the shelf, a slightupward movement of the hooks 11 will allow the whole device to beinstantly collapsed without any adjustments whatever, but will leave itin condition to be instantly set up again by an incut is:

1. The combination with a series of vertical panels flexibly connectedtogether so that they may be collapsed upon themselves, of a shelfinseparably connected to the panels and comprising sections hingedtogether and to the panels to hold the panels extended when the sectionsare brought into the same horizontal plane, and means engaging thevertical panels and holding the shelf in a horizontal position whenweighted by the articles thereon.

2. The combination with a front, back and sides, the latter formed withsupporting shoulders, means hinging the front, back and sides togetherso that they may collapse upon themselves, a shelf for holding the sidesand front extended and comprising a structure having an upwardl openingV fold at the middle to form a strength-' ening truss and horizontalextensions at the end of this truss with hooks to rest upon the sideshoulders to support the shelf in position, and hold the sides fromspreading.

3. The combination with a panel structure having a front, a back andsides, the latter each comprising a plurality of panels, of flexibleconnections between the side panels, the front panel and the back panelso that the front may be collapsed upon the back in a plane atright-angles to the back, a supporting display shelf comprising aplurality of collapsible sections hinged together and also to the frontand the back in such position as to pass within the back, the front andthe sides and force the same into extended position when the shelf isforced down with its sections in the same horizontal plane.

4. The combination with columnar structure comprising a vertical back,front and sides hinged together, of a supporting display shelfcomprising two sections hinged together, means inseparably and flexiblyconnecting the edges of the shelf to the back and front'so that theshelf may pass within the column to force it into extended position, andextensions on the shelf sections for raising'or lowering the shelf alongits hinged line to allow the front to be collapsed or extended at rightangles to the back.

5. The combination with hinged front, back and sides arranged to beextended to form a display column, of a display shelf having an upwardlyhinged V fold at the middle and arranged to pass within the column toforce it into extended position, laterally extending vertical hooks onthe shelf to hook over the vertical sides to hold the shelf in positionand to restrain the sides from moving laterally when the shelf is movedto a horizontal position.

DAVID M. CARmCHAEL.

